This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C xc2xa7119 from an application entitled Display earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Feb. 19, 2001, and there duly assigned Serial No. 2001-8224 by that Office.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge arrangement, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a hinge arrangement for connecting a display apparatus with a body is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a display apparatus serves as an image display unit including a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor or a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. The display apparatus generally embraces a monitor which is used with a computer, and its peripherals. Herein, as an example of a conventional display apparatus, a display apparatus which is used in a notebook computer, will be described.
A computer is composed of a body, a monitor and an input unit. In the body, there are arranged a main board having mounted thereto a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a disk driver, and a variety of cards such as a graphic card, sound card, etc. The monitor is electrically connected to the body to display an image thereon. The input unit includes a keyboard which is used for inputting information into the body, a mouse, etc.
A hinge arrangement is disposed between the body and the monitor so as to rotatably support the monitor relative to the body. The hinge arrangement enables the monitor to be tilted relative to the body in upward and downward directions.
However, the conventional display apparatus suffers from defects in that, since a torque which is owned by the hinge arrangement within the range of a rotation angle of the monitor, is constant, it is difficult to optionally increase a rotation angle of the monitor relative to the body.
For example, in the case that a torque of the hinge arrangement is adjusted in such a way as to allow the range of a rotation angle of the monitor relative to the body to be set to 45xc2x0, the monitor can be rotated up to 45xc2x0 without experiencing trouble. Nevertheless, when it is necessary to rotate the monitor beyond the range of 45xc2x0, a great deal of effort is needed for rotating the monitor.
On the contrary, in the case that a torque of the hinge arrangement is adjusted to a slight value, while the monitor can be easily rotated, it is difficult to continuously hold the monitor at a desired rotation angle.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hinge arrangement for a display apparatus which enables a torque to be adjusted in a diversity of ways depending upon a rotation angle of a monitor.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor for displaying an image thereon and a hinge arrangement for rotatably connecting the monitor to a body and thereby allowing a torque to be adjusted depending upon a rotation angle of the monitor.
Here, the hinge arrangement includes a fixed bracket which is fastened to the body, a rotating bracket which is fastened to the monitor and is capable of being rotated relative to the fixed bracket, at least one adjusting bracket which is located adjacent to the rotating bracket to limit a rotation angle of the rotating bracket, and a hinge shaft which is fitted through the fixed bracket, the rotating bracket and the adjusting bracket.
The hinge arrangement possesses a first adjusting bracket which is located adjacent to one surface of the rotating bracket which one surface faces the fixed bracket and a second adjusting bracket which is located adjacent to the other surface of the rotating bracket; and each of the first and second adjusting brackets is formed with at least one stopper which is to be brought into contact with an edge surface of the rotating bracket to limit the rotation angle of the rotating bracket.
A pair of stoppers are formed at both ends, respectively, of each of the first and second adjusting brackets. Each stopper projects toward the rotating bracket from a surface of each adjusting bracket. Lengths of the first and second adjusting brackets are smaller than a length of the rotating bracket. It is advantageous that the first and second adjusting brackets are bent at center portions thereof by predetermined angles, relative to the rotating bracket.
Friction members are intervened between the rotating bracket and the first and second adjusting brackets in a manner such that the pair of friction members are fitted around the hinge shaft. The friction members are made of soft rubber.
A nut is threaded on the hinge shaft so as to prevent the brackets from being separated from the hinge shaft.